Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State said on Monday that his relationship with his immediate predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and others remains cordial.
Oyebanji, according to a statement in Ado Ekiti by the All Progressives Congress State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, spoke in Ado Ekiti during a visit to the party secretariat, where he officially declared his intention to run in the 2026 governorship race.
Recall that Fayemi’s absence at the statewide second-term endorsement programme for Oyebanji and President Bola Tinubu last week had brought insinuation of division between the governor and the immediate predecessor.
According to Dipe, the governor stated that “he has a good rapport with all his predecessors in office and they are in one accord in ensuring that the state is well run.”
Oyebanji said, “In Ekiti APC, the hierarchy remains such that Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo is at the helm, followed by Dr Fayemi, while I am next on the ladder.
“You can see that I don’t call meetings of the party to Ikogosi, my country home. Instead, we either meet at Iyin, the country home of Otunba Adebayo or Isan, the country home of Dr Fayemi.
“Maybe I will start holding party meetings at Ikogosi when I eventually vacate office, but not now, when I still have those two as my leaders,” Oyebanji said.
While declaring his ambition to run the governorship race, flying the banner of the party for a second term in 2026, Oyebanji said he believed he had represented the APC well during the first term and had earned the confidence of not only the party faithful but the people of Ekiti State.
He said, “The party must have heard the clarion call of the people who gathered to endorse my second term candidacy recently along with that of President Bola Tinubu, and if indeed we merited the trust, we should be allowed by the party to run for the second term as the governor and President, come 2026 and 2027, respectively.
“The President is supporting the state through me and giving me special recognition and assistance. Please join me to thank President Tinubu and let us double our votes for him for the second term.”
Oyebanji listed some of his achievements in the state, including the construction and maintenance of roads, which he said had gulped N130bn in one year, representing the entire budget of the state three years ago.
He also spoke about his administration’s efforts in the areas of welfare and security, which he said had translated to peaceful cohabitation by the people.
According to him, part of his efforts to ensure peace was drawing the leaders of the opposition to his government and ensuring that the resources coming to the state were well managed.
To confirm the efforts of his administration, the governor challenged the party executive council to embark on an inspection tour of the entire state to see for themselves what his government had done and how he had represented them well.
Oyebanji said he had no caucus among the members of the APC, and he held no grudge against anyone within the party.
Among the governor’s entourage were the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro; Chief of Staff, Mr Niyi Adebayo; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Jide Awe.
Credit: punchng.com
